Have you ever talked about checking out a local establishment, but for one reason or another you just never got around to it? Well that’s how it was for us about the Robotic Dinosaurs & Museum. We first learned about it last February, but kept coming up with excuses why we couldn’t {or didn’t want to} go. Since we promised Little Man we’d take him, though, Daddy and I have felt really guilty about never actually doing it!
A couple weeks ago, I decided that enough was enough – no more excuses! LOL With the weather being, well, not so pleasant, we’ve been cooped up in the house and going crazy! We needed to get out and stretch our legs. What better way to do that than by exploring one of Little Man’s top favorite things – dinosaurs?!
We packed up the car {including Grandma} and headed out – determined to have a good day, regardless of the high wind. To start the adventure off right, we decided to try a new restaurant {okay fast-food joint}. After a look around, we settled on Bakers. It was pretty darn good! The burgers Daddy and I got were tasty and Little Man ate his entire taco {plus fries}. One thing I really loved was the message on the back of the fries pack – “Drug Use Is Life Abuse”. In a country plagued with drug abuse, it’s refreshing to see a company taking even little steps to prevent it.
After chowing down on some greasy, messy, DELICIOUS fast food, we headed to our grand destination – the Robotic Dinosaur Museum! Little Man as so excited and even found a dinosaur shaped cloud en route!! LOL As we pulled into the parking lot, Little Man was shaking with excitement. We jumped out of the car and ran to the entrance. After grabbing a few pictures and paying admission, we headed to the indoor section first. There, we found a gift shop in the center of the room and a bunch of robotic dinosaurs along the surrounding walls.
After checking out all the moving dinosaurs {sorry guys, I forgot my Flip was in the car so I didn’t record any videos}, Little Man decided to go for a ride on the long neck! At first, he was afraid and wanted right back off, but he quickly adjusted to it. His joy lasted just long enough for me to catch a picture of him cheesishly smiling.
Next, we were off to the outdoor section of the museum. We immediately noticed the large gem panning station and HAD to try! Little Man had a blast scooping up the sand and sifting out the colored stones {for $7-$10 more, you can get a bag from the souvenir shop filled with dirt, gems, and fossils that you can sift and take home with you!}.
While I was buying our admission tickets, the nice cashier mentioned that if Little Man found a “fossil” {rocks with dinosaur names on them}, he would get a free price from the baskets in the front of the store. We dried our hands and headed for the sandy “Dino Dig.” Unfortunately, Little Man quickly gave up and I was forced to find my own fossil. Of course, I handed it right over to the Little Punk so he could go claim his prize. He eventually decided on an orange and yellow dino finger puppet.
Now it was time to see the rest of the park! We’d barely made it half way into the area at this point, though we’d pretty much done all the activities. We walked around, checking out the dinosaurs and taking a few pictures.
That’s when we came across the giant T-Rex! We climbed and climbed… eventually coming to the inside of its head. I am not too proud to say I freaked out! LOL My anxiety and fear of heights kicked in and I began to hyperventilate! XD I clung to the railing as Daddy and Grandma took Little Man to the top. I will warn visitors, this part felt very unsafe!! We were extremely high up, unsupervised, and in an old, worn structure. Little Man and Daddy had fun, but I doubt we’ll be doing this part again.
Since the giant dino was the end of the trail, we went back the way we came in and grabbed some more pictures. Overall, we had a blast! Yes, the park was kind of cheesy, but my 3-year-old loved it! Next time we go, we will definitely be bringing a picnic since there’s an area inside the park that allows you to sit down and eat in the shade. You can also host parties and gatherings there so it’s a candidate for Little Man’s 3rd birthday party. That’s still far off, though, so we’ll just have to see. =D
To view all of the pictures I took during our adventure, please visit my Facebook page and find the picture folder labeled “Robotic Dinosaur Museum Pictures – May 2011“.
